Tomato Peach Caprese with Basil Herb Sauce

Looking for the best caprese salad? Try this peach and tomato salad variation. With a torn fresh mozzarella, prosciutto di Parma and basil herb sauce, this is no ordinary tomato peach salad. It makes a great summer side dish and you can scale it to as many diners as you like. Try Tomato Peach Caprese before the summer peaches are gone…

 

This post has been updated from its original publication in 2014 for content, photos and recipe.

Can’t get enough of those heavy heirloom tomatoes and honey sweet peaches that are flooding the markets now? Well, it’s time to make the best caprese salad — when each of the ingredients is at its apex. This easy tomato peach salad puts those Farmer’s Market finds to good use and allows each element to shine. That’s important because there’s only four ingredients in this tomato peach caprese.

Ingredients for Peach and Tomato Salad Caprese

• Ripe Peaches
• Heirloom or Beefsteak Tomatoes
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
• Prosciutto Di Parma

 

Herb Sauce For Tomato Peach Caprese

Many tomato peach salads use a drizzle of balsamic vinegar as the final garnish to the composed dish, but, this fresh herb sauce with a hit of citrus is livelier, brighter and zingy. It only takes a few minutes to make if you chopped the herbs by hand, but if you’ve got a mini food processor or blender, it’s ready in mere seconds.

Herb Sauce Ingredients:

• Fresh Basil
• Fresh Mint
• Lemon
• Honey
• Olive OIl
• Salt

 

This herbaceous sauce is bright, chunky and goes so well with the nectar sweet peaches and juicy perfumed tomatoes.

Tips For Basil Mint Herb Sauce

• If you’re making the herb sauce ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap and press the plastic directly onto the herbs to prevent them from oxidizing. Refrigerate.
• Don’t dress the tomato peach salad until you’re ready to serve. 
• If you have a powerful blender, this will be a smooth sauce, in the mini prep, it will be slightly chunky and if chopped by hand, the sauce won’t have the same bright green hue. All are good, so go with whichever you prefer.

 

Best Peaches To Use For Tomato Peach Salad?

Use the ripest, most fragrant, sweet and heavy peaches you can find. That generally means you’ll have a 1-2 month window of availability for this peach caprese… Take advantage of it. Try to find the freestone variety of peaches as they’re the easiest to peel. If you can’t get freestone, however, cling will work as well (just use a vegetable peeler to gently remove the skins.

Best Tomatoes To Use For The Best Caprese Salad:

Ripe, heavy, and fragrant tomatoes will make the best caprese salad. Look for something grown locally if you can, because they’ll typically be the most flavorful (unless you live in South Florida, like me. Our tomato season isn’t until January, so you’re gonna have to “import” from somewhere else). Good varieties to look for: Heirloom Tomatoes, heavy Beefsteak tomatoes or Ugly Ripe).

Best Ham To Use:

I love Prosciutto Di Parma for this composed dish. It’s soft, buttery with that funky aged punch of umami, but other thinly sliced, cured hams would work as well.  Try shaved country ham (Surryano), Serrano ham or Westphalia.

Best Cheese For Tomato Peach Caprese:

The last ingredients for this tomato peach salad is mozzarella cheese. A small ball of fresh, soft mozzarella, packed in water (but patted dry before use) adds a creamy bite that doesn’t compete with the fresh produce.

 

Assembling Peach and Tomato Salad

As you can see, the assembly of this salad is really just a hodgepodge of layering and it doesn’t have to be perfect. I start with the tomatoes and peach slices and then tuck in ribbons of ham and chunks of cheese to fill the gaps. Finish with a  judicious dose of fragrant basil mint herb sauce and serve.

What To Serve with Tomato Peach Salad:

• Grilled Veal Chops with Garlic Herb Crust
• Mint Chimichurri Lamb Chops
• Bourbon Marinated Grilled Flank Steak
• Grilled Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb
• Tender Hickory Smoked Ribs
• Grilled Chicken Thighs with Herb Spice Rub

 

More easy tomato salads you might like: 

• Summer Heirloom Tomato Salad
• Grilled Vegetable Caprese
• Grilled Summer Salad with Lime Dressing
• InAuthentic Tabbouleh

 

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